Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Despite the political risks, when I read about the case of a pregnant 12-yearold girl in Central Queensland who had not been able to access a timely abortion it made my blood boil, and I was determined to act. The 12-year-old girl had been in state care. She did not want to proceed with her pregnancy. Her parents supported her in her decision to terminate. However, authorities forced her to wait weeks, because abortion was in the Criminal Code. Obviously, her pregnancy progressed during this time, before she had the termination. It was a shocking experience for a young girl to go through.